Washing-machine



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOI-IN S. SHEPLER, OF BEAVER, PENNSYLVANIA.

WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 15,580, dated August 19, 18x56.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. SHEPLER, of the town and county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Washing-Machines; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the 4accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure l is an isometrical view. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the line of zo To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

In the construction of my machine I use any of the materials usually employed for such purposes. I use a common tub set on a stand into which I place my improvement or I can construct the tub and stool myself. The tub and stool not being a part of my improvement are not represented in the drawings.

In Fig. l A, is the false bottom; B, the top rubber; C, the upright shaft on which the rubbers revolve; D, the uprights; E, the handle or lever; a, the inclined metallic rubbers of V shape on the upper and lower faces of the revolving rubber and bottom; b, the shoulder on the upright shaft, on which the upper revolving rubber rests in part; o, the ribs on the false bottom; ol, the metal rod extending up from the end of the upright shaft, and passing through the handle or lever. The lever or handle E, rests on the upper end of the shaft C so as to prevent too great a friction which would be the case if it had its full bearing on the shoulder b. y

Fig. 2: B, the top rubber; c, the concave top resting as a cap or cover on shoulder b of the handle or lever.

In the operation of my invention having constructed my machine as described, the metallic rubbersare formed of sections of any odd number of ribs, and are so arranged that the two ends of the ribs are parallel with the revolving rubber, but, the ribs are made to form an inclined plane from the first until the third or center one descending again in the same way, thus forming a succession of inclined planes over which the clothes are forced alternately, ascending and descending at every section of the metallic rubbers. The ends of the metallic rubbers are somewhat wider at the circumference than at the center though this is not essential to my invention. This is done by widening the space between the ribs, but the ribs themselves are always on the same plane. When it is wanted to put the clothes into the. machine for washing the top rubber is lifted out of its place and let rest onf the edge of the tub with the underside turned up which may be used when desired to do so as a hand rubbing machine, when it is found some of the clothes are not clean in dierent places. The clothes now being put into the tub, which may be made with a single or double bottom, when the double bottom is used it will be as represented in the drawing, on the upright shaft may pass through the bottom of the tub and the metallic rubber placed in the tub alone) with sufficient water, the lever, or `handle is now rotated back and forth, causing the clothes to pass under the rubbers and -as the metallic rubbers pass each other the clothes slip between them in the shape of `a wedge, gradually pressing out until the rubbers pass the apex of the inclined plane, when they descend again and fall into the space between the metallic rubbers where they are rolled over and again come in contact with the inclined metallic rubbers and are pressed out, and ascend as before. By this peculiar arrangement of my rubbers I avoid the sudden jar that is` given by those machines having half cone rubbers, causing the contact to be too abrupt when the clothes are brought in contact with them. The clothes have to rise suddenly the thickness of the half cone. In mine this is all avoided by means of the double inclined plane when the machine is operated, the ascent, and descent being gradual. The shoulder o and concave top e resting on it are for the purpose of preventing the clothes from gathering to the center, and catching on the ends of the metallic rubbers. When I operate my machine .the lever, or handle E rests, on the upper end of the shaft C which prevents the too great pressure of the rubbers as they cannot come together entirely.

I-Iaving thus fully described the construction and operation of my invention I do not claim the half cone rubbers nor do I `claim concave rubbers, but

What I do claim and desire to secure b Letters Patent, is-

The forming of ribs in sections, parallel to the rubbers, and gradually forming a double inclined plane out of any odd number of ribs, thus causing a Wedge shape opening between the ribs, of equal opening 5 When Vertical to each other to admit the clothes, as the machine rotates back and forth, Without the abrupt Contact caused when the ribs are of equal height as herein set forth.

J. C. CLAYTON, T. Gr. CLAYTON. 

